Sijo Shijo Goshijo The Beloved Classics Of Korean Poetry On Timeless Reflections And Everything Wise

Herein are the classics of Korean poetry called sijo. Illustrated and narrated are twenty of the poetic favorites, a collection of the contemplations about life and words of wisdom from of old.

The mountain green... The waters blue... Friends they were, Sincere and true. Ah, nature! It was a nexus of inspiration! Poets embraced it and celebrated it. They praised its virtues as they savored the beauty of each season. Regarded as a friend, a teacher, a muse--nature inspired deep contemplations and reflections about love, life, and everything else that mattered to the human heart, mind, and soul. Needless to say, nature had a huge following and a huge poetic collection devoted to it! The lofty green mountains, a moonlit night, the ever flowing waters, and even a single stem of flower evoked wonders and stirred the hearts of the poets to compose these classical poetry called 'goshijo'. So, if you are fascinated with everything Korean and if you just happened to cross paths with the world of sijo, do draw near and fancy a simply bloom and a starry night through the eyes of the poets of old. Miss Anna wrote this book with a singular audience in mind--people all over the world who are aspiring to learn Korean, children included. Hence, she has poured in all her creative energy to make classical sijo, also called goshijo, more accessible to language learners. You will find in this book: 1. Vivid illustrations with captions in Korean. 2. A simple pronunciation guide for each word for the everyday English-speaking people (not the McCune-Reischauer transliteration nor the commonly employed Romanization of Korean which are geared more for language experts and the linguists of the land). Note that some sounds cannot be accurately transcribed and taught through a book. Therefore, to get the correct nuance of the Korean letters, please consult a native speaker of Korean. 3. The most accurate sense of words and meaning of the words (and groups of words) in English. 4. Definition of words and groups of words in modern Korean for native speakers of Korean as a way to refresh their understanding of the sijo. 5. The thematic undertone of each poem. 6. Miss Anna's version of the sijo in English. (In all cases, the inherent music and the overall rhythm of a language are forever lost in translation. Hence, she focused on providing the most accurate sense and meaning behind each sijo on behalf of the poets.) 7. A short story behind each poem and the poet. This narrative does much to provide a much fuller and a richer understanding of the poem. As the reader gets acquainted with the historical backdrop behind each piece, he/she will perceive its underlying emotions as well. This book contains twenty favorites of the Korean poetry called sijo, 'shijo' to pronounce it correctly. Putting aside everything political, there are poetic contemplations from nature, poetic expressions of love, and poetic advises and admonitions that still ring true in the 20th century. Included are two poems written by the famous courtesan, Hwang Jini, and a masterpiece-of-a-poem composed by the Grand Prince Wolsan. Elegant and classic, all twenty of these poems are masterpieces still loved and cherished by the Korean people today. As a fun aside, you will also learn why artists celebrated chrysanthemums and drew painting after paintings of these sumptuous blooms and why, ironically, you have to think twice before buying the mums as a gift. Buy the book and discover the timeless gems that have preserved the passing thoughts and the flutter of emotions from a yonder time.

All Koreans enjoy sijos as a beloved form of poetry. But if look beyond the sprinkling of words, You'll find stories of bygone history. Love Korea? You do? Then you HAVE TO dip your foot into the world of sijo! Have you heard of it? Pronounced as shijo, it is a form of poetry that has been loved through the generations. If you could believe it, it is almost eight hundred years old, a precious artifact by historical standards! However, a sijo can never be encased inside a glass exhibit. Eloquent in its archaic ways, the words still speak out loud and clear, its message still poignant and stirring. Its soft musicality and the beauty of a bygone way of expression still captures the hearts of the Korean people. If you love Korea, do try a taste of sijo, especially the classical ones called the gosijo. Mind you. In all appearances and on first take, the poetry may seem light and airy, but chew on it, and you'll discover layer upon layer of meaning and the thread of emotions running deeper still. Sijos may be short, but they speak volumes with regards to Korean history and the frame of mind of the respected literati of the land. Miss Anna wrote this book with a singular audience in mind-people all over the world who are aspiring to learn Korean, children included. Hence, she has poured in all her creative energy to make classical sijo, also called goshijo, more accessible to language learners. You will find in this book: 1. Vivid illustrations with captions in Korean. 2. A simple pronunciation guide for each word for the everyday English-speaking people (not the McCune-Reischauer transliteration nor the common Romanization of Korean geared more for language experts and the linguists). Note that some sounds cannot be accurately transcribed and taught through a book. Therefore, to get the correct nuance of the Korean letters, please consult a native speaker of Korean. 3. The most accurate sense of words and meaning of the words (and groups of words) in English. 4. Definition of words and groups of words in modern Korean for native speakers of Korean as a way to refresh their understanding of the sijo. 5. The thematic undertone of each poem. 6. Miss Anna's version of the sijo in English. (In all cases, the inherent music and the overall rhythm of a language are forever lost in translation. Hence, she focused on providing the most accurate sense and meaning behind each sijo on behalf of the poets.) 7. A short story behind each poem and the poet. This narrative does much to provide a much fuller and a richer understanding of the poem. As the reader gets acquainted with the historical backdrop behind each piece, he/she will perceive its underlying emotions as well. This book presents twenty classical favorites! Placed in chronological order, the poems mark the chaotic end of the Kingdom of Goryeo and the turbulent beginnings of the Kingdom of Joseon. Political affairs were the main subject of the early sijo as the poets in the land were all men of high standing. Unquestionably, the poems are heavy with thought as men struggled to live up to the virtues of loyalty and honor all the while trying to define where their loyalties lie. The poems are the deep reflections of men who cannot but wrestle through their hour in history. Be transported over to the time when loyalty to the king was upheld as the paramount virtue of the land. Buy the book! Discover the poems of great men who had carried themselves with honor during that turbulent time in Korean history. Discover sijo at its heroic best!

Sijo provides a picture. It's like a poetic photograph. Poets captured the moment On the people's behalf. Love Korean drama? You know, the ones where the actors and actresses wear the traditional clothing called the 'hanbok'. You do? What do you know! Then you will love this! The Korean poetry called the sijo, 'shijo' to be correct, is the Korean drama in the making. Each piece of poetry captures the historical happenings and the unfolding drama of that given moment of time. Piece it together with the other historical backdrops and you will have a solid storyline based on true facts. Of course, there will be no melodramatic scenes or the picturesque portrayal of the Joseon times. Believe it or not, Joseon had its own share of the gory and the grim. To only beautify and glorify her is to forever silence those who had shed real tears of pain and anguish. And sijo poetries, which are hundreds of years old, are the untainted proofs of the agony the people did face. This is not to say that all sijos are dark and gloomy. Poets also expressed the happy and the serene, the joyful and the glad. Sijos are truly a drama in the making. It captures the real story behind the Joseon times, albeit in three-line snippets. Miss Anna wrote this book with a singular audience in mind-people all over the world who are aspiring to learn Korean, children included. Hence, she has poured in all her creative energy to make classical sijo, also called goshijo, more accessible to language learners. You will find in this book: 1. Vivid illustrations with captions in Korean. 2. A simple pronunciation guide for each word for the everyday English-speaking people (not the McCune-Reischauer transliteration nor the commonly employed Romanization of Korean which are geared more for language experts and the linguists of the land). Note that some sounds cannot be accurately transcribed and taught through a book. Therefore, to get the correct nuance of the Korean letters, please consult a native speaker of Korean. 3. The most accurate sense of words and meaning of the words (and groups of words) in English. 4. Definition of words and groups of words in modern Korean for native speakers of Korean as a way to refresh their understanding of the sijo. 5. The thematic undertone of each poem. 6. Miss Anna's version of the sijo in English. (In all cases, the inherent music and the overall rhythm of a language are forever lost in translation. Hence, she focused on providing the most accurate sense and meaning behind each sijo on behalf of the poets.) 7. A short story behind each poem and the poet. This narrative does much to provide a much fuller and a richer understanding of the poem. As the reader gets acquainted with the historical backdrop behind each piece, he/she will perceive its underlying emotions as well. This book carries twenty sijos from the Mid-Joseon time period. Included in the collection are the famous poem written by General Yi Soon-Shin and the beloved poem written by Kim Sang-Hon. Turbulent times marked this window of time. Enemies from within (infighting and political divisions) and enemies from without (the Japanese and the Jurchens, the future Manchurians of the Qing Dynasty) besieged the nation and battered the spirits of the people. However, while shedding bitter tears, the people survived. Joseon lived on. And the poets dipped their brush in ink to tell their story. So do turn the pages to harken back to the people who once was. Buy the book and discover those who had no choice but to trudge through their given hour of time.

All Koreans enjoy sijos as a beloved form of poetry. But if look beyond the sprinkling of words, You'll find stories of bygone history. Love Korea? You do? Then you HAVE TO dip your foot into the world of sijo! Have you heard of it? Pronounced as shijo, it is a form of poetry that has been loved through the generations. If you could believe it, it is almost eight hundred years old, a precious artifact by historical standards! However, a sijo can never be encased inside a glass exhibit. Eloquent in its archaic ways, the words still speak out loud and clear, its message still poignant and stirring. Its soft musicality and the beauty of a bygone way of expression still captures the hearts of the Korean people. If you love Korea, do try a taste of sijo, especially the classical ones called the gosijo. Mind you. In all appearances and on first take, the poetry may seem light and airy, but chew on it, and you'll discover layer upon layer of meaning and the thread of emotions running deeper still. Sijos may be short, but they speak volumes with regards to Korean history and the frame of mind of the respected literati of the land. Miss Anna wrote this book with a singular audience in mind-people all over the world who are aspiring to learn Korean, children included. Hence, she has poured in all her creative energy to make classical sijo, also called goshijo, more accessible to language learners. You will find in this book: 1. Vivid illustrations with captions in Korean. 2. A simple pronunciation guide for each word for the everyday English-speaking people (not the McCune-Reischauer transliteration nor the commonly employed Romanization of Korean which are geared more for language experts and the linguists of the land). Note that some sounds cannot be accurately transcribed and taught through a book. Therefore, to get the correct nuance of the Korean letters, please consult a native speaker of Korean. 3. The most accurate sense of words and meaning of the words (and groups of words) in English. 4. Definition of words and groups of words in modern Korean for native speakers of Korean as a way to refresh their understanding of the sijo. 5. The thematic undertone of each poem. 6. Miss Anna's version of the sijo in English. (In all cases, the inherent music and the overall rhythm of a language are forever lost in translation. Hence, she focused on providing the most accurate sense and meaning behind each sijo on behalf of the poets.) 7. A short story behind each poem and the poet. This narrative does much to provide a much fuller and a richer understanding of the poem. As the reader gets acquainted with the historical backdrop behind each piece, he/she will perceive its underlying emotions as well. This book presents twenty classical favorites! Placed in chronological order, the poems mark the chaotic end of the Kingdom of Goryeo and the turbulent beginnings of the Kingdom of Joseon. Political affairs were the main subject of the early sijo as the poets in the land were all men of high standing. Unquestionably, the poems are heavy with thought as men struggled to live up to the virtues of loyalty and honor all the while trying to define where their loyalties lie. The poems are the deep reflections of men who cannot but wrestle through their hour in history. Be transported over to the time when loyalty to the king was upheld as the paramount virtue of the land. Buy the book! Discover the poems of great men who had carried themselves with honor during that turbulent time in Korean history. Discover sijo at its heroic best!